


The Priestess

by musesmistress



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-12
Updated: 2011-10-11
Packaged: 2017-10-22 13:38:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/238621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musesmistress/pseuds/musesmistress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tip about a ZPM leaves John in the dark and Elizabeth in a position of great power and danger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There was definitely something off about it. Random new friends didn’t just give up information about ZPMs and were to find them just out of the kindness of their hearts. John knew it had to be trick - a trap, or there was a catch later to be revealed. Sort of like a dept to be repaired later, when something appropriate came along. Forever owing someone who claimed to be part of the alliance wasn’t exactly something John considered a reasonable request. Elizabeth however agreed to it, much to John distress and surprise, he’d convinced himself she’d never agree to the exchange and had stepped back into Atlantis with the idea that whole thing was ludicrous – at best. He’d been ready with his gun when he stepped through the gate following the information their ‘friend’ had given them and be a little surprised to find himself in a desert on the other side. Not a thing in sight for miles around.

“Well this looks like fun,” he said sarcastically. “Anyone bring a shovel?”

“A what?” Ronon asked.

“Chala did not say the ZPM would be here, someone here would know its location,” Teyla said ignoring both John’s comment and Ronon’s question.

“There’s no one here.”

“Except him,” John said. He’d turned to find a familiar and not very pleasant face grinning at him from the other side of the gate. He’d turned to look before and no one had been there, in fact, no one had been anywhere. Ronon and Teyla’s guns came up quickly to join his as he watched the Wraith move up through the gate and down the steps on their side. “Todd,” he said with a touch of fake pleasure and shock. “Nice to see you’re still alive.”

“You lie poorly,” Todd said, his grin widening with his arms to show he had no weapons. “I didn’t come to kill you.”

“Really? Well that just makes me feel so much better.” John didn’t even try to keep the sarcasm from his tone.

“If you don’t want to know where the power module is, I will just leave.” Todd turned, moving to the DHD.

“Wait.” John licked his lips tasting the horrible sand from this planet there and lowered his gun. “What’s the catch to you telling us where it is?”

Todd’s horrifying grin spread again and he turned back to the team with a glint of knowing in his eyes. Perhaps the time John spent captured by Kolya had taught this particular Wraith too much about him.

“I go with you to collect it and only you and one other selected by me step onto the planet in question.”

John swallowed. “Which other?”

“I believe Doctor Weir has knowledge of the variations of the Ancient language.”

“You want me to let you near Elizabeth with only me to protect her?”

“Suit yourself.” Todd turned back to the DHD.

“Elizabeth won’t agree to it,” Rodney spat. “She’d be crazy to agree to that.”

“We need the power module,” Teyla reminded him. They were almost out of power, among other things and their contact with Earth had been less and less frequent over the last six months or so. Todd turned back to study them.

“I can’t make that decision for Elizabeth,” John admitted. “Come back to Atlantis, we’ll talk to Elizabeth, if she disagrees, we let you go, and if not, then you go with us to get the ZPM.”

“How do I know I can trust you?”

“Trust is two way game. You want me to trust you on another planet with just me and Elizabeth you have to trust me to keep my word.”

“Very well.”

~*~

It wasn’t much of a shock that Elizabeth wasn’t in the control room when they returned, she hadn’t been well lately. John made sure Todd had a guard and somewhere comfortable to wait before he made his way to Elizabeth’s room. She wasn't going to be pleased about him bringing a Wraith to Atlantis. He paused outside her room wondering if he should knock, at night he didn't need to, but they had been in their relationship for almost a year now and no one knew about them. At least no one let on that they knew.

Several people turning the corner and heading his way made up his mind for him and he quickly reached out and activated the chime. He smiled at the group as he waited and turned back to the still closed door as they turned out of sight. Reaching out again he let his hand hover over the chime before he dropped it and opened her door.

“Elizabeth?” Noise from the bathroom told him she was still suffering. He swallowed hard before taking a seat on her ruffled bed. “Are you sure you're getting better?”

“Yes, I used to be sick every time I moved.” Any sign of joking had vanished from her voice and John quickly reconsidered their need for a ZPM. Elizabeth dropped back on the bed behind him and nudged him with a foot. “How did it go? Did you bring me a nice fully powered ZPM?”

“Not exactly. Todd wants to make a deal for it.”

“Todd! You brought a Wraith here!” He had hoped she would at least ask why he had brought the Wraith back. “John, what were you thinking?”

“That we needed a ZPM urgently. That we need allies, even if they are Wraith.” He turned and slid up the bed beside her and propped himself up on an elbow. “Todd isn't the problem,” he knew this was going to be worse, having to go ZPM hunting with an ill woman and a sly Wraith was going to be murder. “He'll share the ZPMs location if he can go with us when we collect it. And by us,” he continued not stopping to let her talk. “He means you and me.”

“Me? Why me?”

“I think he has a thing for you.”

“No, that's you,” she said quickly buying in on the small joke. “I don't think the Wraith have a 'thing' for anyone - unless it’s to ease their hunger.”

“True. He wants you for your brain. I think he advanced from life sucking to brain sucking.” She gave him a look as he teasing slid his hand up her arm and back again before moving across her stomach. “Something to do with languages.”

“I'm not a linguist.”

“No, but you are good with Ancient and Wraith languages and derisions thereof. You’re not pregnant are you?” He hadn't fully taken in the thought in his head prior to the words leaving his mouth. Elizabeth gave a small snort of a laugh.

“No, John. I'm not pregnant.”

He felt himself relax a little and was a little surprised that it had come with a sprinkling of disappointment. Elizabeth’s hand on the side of his face told him both emotions showed.

“Maybe we can talk about that when this is over.” John nodded, his eyes fixed on her shoulder. “So where are we going?”

“I don't know, Todd wasn't exactly forthcoming on the details, just on the bargaining for them.”

“Then I guess we should go have a talk with Todd.”

~*~

“Doctor Weir,” Todd said as they stepped into the room, he gave a small respectful bow and rose with a hideous grin on his face. “How good to see you well.”

Elizabeth quirked a brow, but didn’t reply. It was a show that the Wraith, or at least his section of the Wraith, new more about what was happening on Atlantis than they hoped. It was somewhat daunting to know. Keeping her tongue and carefully considering her words, Elizabeth moved to the other side of the room from the creature and took a seat. John had followed her in and opted for standing just behind her left shoulder, she knew him well enough to know it was to give him a faster response should Todd try anything.

She let her eyes take him in and the locations of all the guards at the door and the two in the room. Todd, seeming to realise her delay held his hands out to show he had nothing that could harm her. Literally. She knew from John he had been searched for weapons before setting foot on Atlantis and he’d long ago been deprived of the ability to feed as the Wraith usually did.

“I hear you have a deal in mind, in exchange for the ZPM.” Under normal circumstance she would have indicated for the other person to sit in the negotiation, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it for a Wraith. She didn’t want him sitting comfortably; she wanted him off her city and nowhere near their planet.

“Yes,” he said. The horrible grin returning as he lowered his hands back to his sides.

“Such as,” Elizabeth asked, leaving the sentence open for him to continue.

“Such as, allowing me to accompany you to the planet in question.”

Elizabeth waited for the catch, there had to be one. He couldn’t simply just want to go for a day trip to another planet with a couple of humans who clearly didn’t trust him. There was no give away in his expression, not a thing to indicate he was planning to kidnap her or kill them.

“Why?” She asked slowly, scrutinizing every twitch his face made. Todd grinned again.

“You’re a smart woman, Doctor Weir. I’m sure there are better questions you want to ask.”

“There are,” she said simply. “But I’m more interested in why you’re so eager to take a trip to an obviously humanoid civilisation with us, in particular.”

“Perhaps I’m just curious to know how you operate. Perhaps I would like to see you, Doctor Weir, in a negotiation.”

“Perhaps you want someone else to take the blame when you steal something else of value,” John said, voicing just what she was thinking.

“Or perhaps, you’re going to get hold of the ZPM first and use it as leverage over us.” She knew enough of this particular Wraith to suspect all of the above and not just any one of the four possibilities mentioned.

“What’s to stop you from killing us or kidnapping Elizabeth the second we’re off this planet? How do we know,” John said leaning forward on the desk, “that you haven’t already sent a hive ship to the planet and you’re waiting for us. There must be a lovely price for the two leaders of the Ancient city, the people who have given the Wraith more problems than food.”

“You have only my word.” For a moment, just a moment, Elizabeth considered getting up and walking out. There was too high a price on this ZPM, too many possibilities for trouble. “How much do you require this ZPM.” He knew he had the better of them, he had come armed with all his knowledge about them and used every ounce of it.

“What do you know about this planet?” Todd’s grin widened.

~*~*~

This is a bad idea.

The words had been repeating themselves almost continuously since Ronon started saying them. It was a bad idea. He was sat in the pilot seat of the Jumper, Elizabeth to his right and Todd right behind him, because Ronon had refused to let the Wraith sit behind Elizabeth. Of cause, given half a chance, John would have preferred Ronon’s idea of making him sit at the back of the ship, up against the rear hatch. But, they were currently allies, again, and he had to at least appear friendly. Shame he couldn’t say the same for the Wraith.

On the other side of the gate, the low sun made the horizon glow a strange huge of blues and greens and as John turned the ship in the direction of the nearest settlement he spotted a very blue looking moon, a single patch of orange off to one side of the globe gave it a stranger than normal appearance. Not that being on another planet wasn’t strange enough.

Keeping the Jumper low over the tops of the trees, John followed a path around to the small settlement and set the ship down in a clearing to the west. The crowd of people gathered before John could get out of his seat and he paused for a moment watching Elizabeth’s pallid face as she swallowed back the nausea.

“You okay? Wouldn’t go down well if you puked all over them on first contact.”

“I’m fine,” she told him, though he knew the strain in her voice all too well from the last couple of days.

Moving to the rear, he plucked a bottle of water from the storage racks and handed it to her before moving back and opening the hatch. When he turned back, Elizabeth had moved from her seat and was carefully making her way towards him. Todd eased himself out of his as she passed him and turned to look out at the people peering in on them. Glancing over his shoulder, John took in the mutters of people who had not only seen Todd, but realised what he was, it confused him for a moment, wondering why they didn’t scream and run, but the idea vanished as Elizabeth stopped in front of him and took a hold of his arm to steady herself.

“I knew this was a bad idea,” he said reaching out, one hand on her arm and the other on her waist.

“Just give me a minute.”

John turned, not taking his hand off her waist to watch a woman step carefully up the ramp, she had spoken, but for the life of him John couldn’t place the language, let alone understand what she’d said.

“You understand them?” John asked carefully.

“No, doesn’t sound familiar.”

“Good fun,” he said feeling Elizabeth sway in his arms. He turned back and wrapped an arm around her before lowering her to the bench. “No travel sickness please.” Elizabeth chuckled and flipped the lid on the water bottle to take a sip. A gasp and the sound of rustling turned him back to the opening and he creased his brow at the group of people, now down on their knees with their foreheads against fists on the ground. “Okay, this just got weird.”

“What are they doing?” Elizabeth asked.

“Beats me.” John moved down the ramp, close to the woman who had stepped up ahead of them. He reached down and coaxed her to her feet, watching as the woman’s eye flicked nervously to Elizabeth, that’s when it dawned on him that they’d seen her for the first time when he’d set her on the seat. “Stop grinning Todd, they’re not worshipping you, they’re doing this for Elizabeth.”

“What?” The shock on her face was not at all unexpected, but the grin that remained on Todd’s face told John he expected this. “Why?”

“No idea, but I think Todd has one.” He indicated the Wraith, still standing, grinning at the turn of events. Instead of answering the confusion on Elizabeth's face, Todd moved passed them and out the Jumper. The people scattered, crawling or shuffling away to make a path for him. John turned to follow as Elizabeth got up and was shocked to find the people quickly settle into the crouched pose where they had moved.

The settlement seemed a lot larger as they stepped in passed a barely standing wall that surrounded it. The people just inside it reminded John of places with shanty towns, the poor and desperate finding a way to live tagged on to large villages or towns. Whispers followed them, changing quickly from fear to wonder as they took eyes off the Wraith and set them on Elizabeth. For a fleeting moment John considered that someone would try and attack her, try and prove she wasn't whatever it was they believed her to be. Then he set eyes on the wall Todd had stopped by.

The strong stone structure spanned across the edge of the shanty town, almost as if to divide them from everyone else. The only way past would be to walk in either direction for two or three miles. The decorations on the wall were vivid and John suspected they were standing at the centre. Along the bottom of it lined hundreds of people, a mixture of armed and armoured guards, ladies in fine dresses and the poor, rag wearers all of which were holding their hands up to a woman in white towering over them. The city depicted in the background of the people, standing tall around the woman looked a lot like Atlantis made of brick instead of metal. But what caught john and seemed to completely stun Elizabeth was the woman herself.

Dressed head to toe, or as far as they could see, in an elegant and simple white dress was a slightly younger version of Elizabeth. It was unmistakable, the curly brown hair, fell over her shoulders and down to her stomach, green eyes looked caringly down at her people as her arms stretched to the side dropping food and coins over her followers. The sleeves of her dress fell away about half way between elbow and wrist leaving a long flow of material billowing out back towards her and the city. John’s comment about her being pregnant rushed back to his brain and he instantly turned the woman into their daughter instead of the woman he loved.

As if the idea struck him as sharp as lightning, John pulled open a pocket and extracted a camera. He stepped back several paces, lined up the shot and captured as much of the image as he could. He wouldn't show it to anyone in Atlantis, but there was nothing stopping him from using it as his laptop wallpaper.

A woman behind them spoke and they turned to see the woman who had been kneeling on the jumper ramp standing and beckoning them to follow. He exchanged a glance with Elizabeth before she turned to follow the woman. His mind ran wild with the ideas of what could be here, what these people would expect from her and it frightened him just a little. Keeping close to Elizabeth and a firm grip on the trigger of his gun, John followed the woman back out the village and down a dirt road trail to the opening of a cave.

When the women indicated they should go in, Elizabeth took a step forward and John instantly grabbed her arm. The look of shock and defiance on the woman’s face told him she expected Elizabeth to be treated with more respect. John ignored her and indicated inside with his gun as he turned to Todd.

“You first,” he said, making it clear neither of them were going to walk into some trap he’d set up on this world. It hadn’t passed John’s notice that these people didn’t seem nearly half as scared of him as they should. Todd hissed at him.

“Your distrust of me is becoming tiresome.”

“Your knack for deception is becoming predictable,” John retorted.

Todd grinned again. “Perhaps one day, you will trust that everything I do, is good for both our people.”

“Yeah, about the time hell freezes over.” He waved his gun back to the entrance. “So, are we going in or not?”

John waited for Todd to vanish into the cave before he released Elizabeth’s arm. When he stepped forward he had to stop and look back at her, she hadn’t moved from the spot and the woman who had shown them the way stood awkwardly to one side watching her.

“What?” John asked.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” she said.

“Of cause it doesn’t, Todd’s controlling this.” He turned back to look at the cave, then back at Elizabeth before he turned and moved back to stand close to her. “Well come back to figure out that wall.”

“You don’t understand,” she said, shaking her head just a little and looking down. “It feels right,” she explained meeting his eye. “The wall, this cave, it feels right and it shouldn’t. It feels as if I know this place.”

John swallowed. “Okay,” he had no idea if it was okay, there was no possible way any of this could feel right. He licked his lips to give himself a second to think. “Just stay close. Any urges to follow a path or crawl down a rabbit hole, let me know.” She gave him a small smile of amusement before following him into the cave.

“Interesting,” John said. They’d only walked a dozen steps into the cave before finding themselves in a room that clearly didn’t belong. The smooth walls and soft light were completely backwards from anything John would have expected to find. The cream walls were decorated with what looked like a city of people, the wall directly in front of them holding the more elegant area and a palace that resembled the two taller towers of Atlantis, but again in brick instead of metal. He stepped closer, studying the design of the tallest tower, it was different, the idea was the same, but the windows were taller and flowed better with the structure. Standing on the balcony was a small figure, a woman dressed in white, her eyes watching the flow of the city below.

John moved around, taking in the other tower, darker and squarer in comparison to the curves of the first. He took in the change between the people, the rich to poor and the evenly scattered guards who made sure everything was running smoothly. On the wall where they would have walked into the room – the doors absence being a fact John took a moment to take in – was an opening in the city wall, a large group of guards stood along the walls, patrolled along the ground and manned small buildings along the path just inside. Standing outside the city, amongst a few random people, were a Wraith and a man dressed in black with scruffy fly away hair.

“Alice through the looking glass.” John muttered before swinging around with his gun raised. Something had clicked behind him. “What was that?”

Todd stood in the middle of the room, his hands leisurely at his sides as he watched Elizabeth. A section of the wall were this city’s queen was looking had melted into something completely different. The now clear section was littered with patches of writing and John had to step closer before he realised they were a combination and mixture of Ancient and Wraith languages. Nothing seemed right though, as if the writings were in a language long since forgotten. Elizabeth’s fingers danced over the sections, seeming to read the instructions without effort. She pressed at a symbol and a small click echoed through the room.

“Elizabeth,” he said, more in warning than question. She hesitated, taking in his tone of voice and seemed to fight against an urge he hadn’t figured out. “Elizabeth.” This time he was more forceful and she managed, with effort, to turn and look at him. He fixed her with a look that normally would have told her to step back and leave it alone, but she simply squared her shoulders and turned back to press another symbol. John took a step forward a split second too late and in the blink of an eye, Elizabeth was gone and the wall had returned to its normal city view.


	2. Chapter 2

Elizabeth opened her eyes and stared up at the billowing silky material above her. The cool breeze that fluttered over the top of it wasn’t completely kept at bay by its presence and, as such, served to cool her skin just a little too much. Stretching a hand down, she groped for the covers she seemed to have kicked off in the night and pulled them back up to her chin.

“No, you don’t.” The woman’s voice to her right wasn’t much of a shock, and she turned to see her room maid Eleanor standing watching her with hands on her hips. “I just turned those covers down to wake you up. You’re not going back to sleep.”

Elizabeth yawned in protest. “I’m considering a new rule. That no one disturb the Lady Priestess before midday.”

“And how many of your marshals will follow that rule?”

She considered for a moment, listing the men in her head before kicking the covers to the side and slipping off the bed on the opposite side to Eleanor. The woman let out an exasperated breath and grabbed something from the chair behind her before moving around to Elizabeth’s side of the bed.

“You only make things harder on yourself when you do that.”

“Really?” She said coyly. This game never grew boring between them - the small battle of who was really in charge of the room. “I’m not the one who had to walk around the bed with my petticoat and corset.”

Eleanor gave in to the grin far too quickly and as Elizabeth raised her arms so her nightdress could be removed, the woman gave her a swift smack on the bottom. Out of her nightdress and into her undergarments - petticoat and with the corset wrapped around her middle - Elizabeth started to mentally count down from ten. She knew, without a doubt that before she reached the end of her count, either someone would knock on the door or Eleanor would pull too tight on her strings in retribution. She made it to three before the knock came and almost as if she’d jumped at the sound, the strings were pulled tight.

“One of these days, I’d like to know what the air tastes like.”

“Absolutely,” Eleanor said, and Elizabeth could hear the touch of sarcasm and knew what was coming. “All it will take is for you to meet some strapping young man, let him court you, marry him and then bare his child.” She moved around and patted Elizabeth’s stomach before heading for the door. “You can then taste all the air you would like while you grow fat.”

“And then you can squeeze the life, air, and fat out of me the first chance you can to get me back into to this thing.” She turned and vanished behind the changing screen as Eleanor opened the door. Elizabeth laughed at the abrupt ‘she’s not ready yet’ the woman said and then the door was shut before anyone on the other side could even open their mouth. She unhooked the top of the dress hanging on a peg behind the screen and crouched down to pick up the hem. It was always easier to take the dress over the head. The fuss with her green petticoat was just not worth the trouble of going the other way.

She pulled the dress down her body, secretly wishing, as she often did, that they would give her more than one style and colour. Always wearing the same thing was boring and even the different coloured petticoats were no longer amusing or enough of a change. But that was the price of being the Lady Priestess. She slipped her arms into the long sleeves, sparing a moment to check that the sleeve trains hadn’t been caught somewhere in the process and then began to tie the laces at the front of her dress.

Admittedly, the dress could have been much worse. Watching the women in the city nearest her, she had managed to pick out a dozen dresses that were beyond ugly in every way, shape, or form. Yet, the women wore them as if in a battle for the worst possible outfit. Though she knew it was more of a battle to be dressed the best, or have the lowest neckline without being indecent. Her own neckline, when done up properly, was squared across the top of her breasts. The corset underneath didn’t come up nearly as high, and the gaps left between the sides of the dress' front always gave the men a good view of her cleavage – at least she hoped it was a good view.

Often, as she was doing now, she would purposely slacken the strings after passing the line of her underclothes, giving her just a little more space to move without feeling trapped and showing off just that much more of her breasts. If anyone ever noticed, they never commented. Stepping back around from the screen, Elizabeth crossed the room and pulled open the double doors to her sitting area. Everyone on the other side of them instantly shot to their feet. She smiled, trying hard not to let them know she would always enjoy catching them off guard.

“So, gentlemen,” she said, moving across the room and pushing open the doors to the balcony. “What news have you brought me today?”

~*~

“How did she do it?” John demanded, running his hand along the wall, trying hard to find the line that showed him where the wall changed. There wasn’t one, and Todd’s silence at the three times he’d asked that question was beginning to grate on his nerves. Giving up, he turned sharply to the Wraith and glared. “How,” he said slowly, drawing every word out, “did she do it?”

“I do not know,” Todd said just as carefully. John raised his gun and Todd hissed at him. “The room is sensitive to one person only.”

Instantly, John knew Todd had planned for either him or Elizabeth to go missing, leaving one or the other from Atlantis with him to solve the whole riddle. Chances were, Todd knew what to do next, but wouldn’t offer the information.

“Where is she?” Todd almost growled at him.

“There will be another way out of this room. One for their selected and one for us.”

“Why do they have a ‘selected’ to begin with?”

Todd waited for just a moment. “The most important person in your group is taken in trade. The puzzle of getting the ZPM is to work out how to receive both the ZPM and your important person back at the same time. Failure to solve the puzzle will result in Doctor Weir’s death.”

John had to bite his tongue to stop from following the impulse to shoot the Wraith on the spot.

“All those who enter the chamber, must leave it, or Doctor Weir’s life is forfeit,” Todd added.

“And if I decide Elizabeth is more important than the ZPM?”

“We may leave with or without it. But we cannot leave less one person.”

“That is not the truth.” John turned sharply to the additional voice and found himself face to face with a man dressed in black robes. The hood up over his head made John shiver with the feeling of having the grim reaper so near. The man took a step forward and reached up to push the hood down. The soft face and pleasant smile were a complete contrast to the outward appearance, and for a moment John added the boy's face to his collection of ‘Elizabeth’s children’ mental photographs. John swallowed, considering that he wanted children a little too much or that this world was seriously playing games with them.

“What’s not true?”

The man bowed his head. “My name is Avid. I am the keeper of the passage. My purpose here is to explain how to get you what you want without too much loss. I only appear when one or more of the group is unsure why they are here or what they must do.”

“Well that covers me. Couldn’t you have appeared before Elizabeth vanished?”

“I could not.” John quirked a brow. “Elizabeth,” the name sounded strange on his lips. “Was payment for the information, or, had you known your purpose, she would have been payment for the chance to get your wish.”

“Makes perfect sense. Why Elizabeth?”

“She is the more valuable.” Avid looked briefly at Todd. “Neither you nor Elizabeth had any interest in the Wraith in your company; however, you had strong feelings towards each other. Had that been her only value, the choice of which to take would have been mine. There were other aspects I needed to account for. The strong sense of respect you have for each other is just as equal, but you have a sense of duty to her as your leader that she does not have for you. This aspect led me to believe that were you to leave here without her, others would be displeased. This makes her the most valuable member of your party.”

“Alright. So how do I get Elizabeth back and what we came for?”

“Firstly you must understand a few things. This room is different for the people who come. It is based on the thoughts you have for the chosen.”

“Wait, how can you know Elizabeth would be the chosen before we got here?”

Avid smiled. “You left your world three hours before you arrived here. Our linkgate stores you for long enough to determine which of you would be more important.”

John quirked a brow. “Okay.”

“The images on the wall represent the situation they have placed before you.” He indicated the far wall where Elizabeth stood looking down over a people as though she were a queen and they her subjects. “She will know nothing beyond her situation. She will not remember you or your relationship, but she will have the sense of your relationship – will be drawn to you as she was on your world. You can take from these images what you can, an understanding of her character, where she stands in the city, and where your required object is. There are no clues on how to retrieve either on these walls.

“There can only be one outcome of your visit here, though there are four possible ways that outcome can go. Firstly, you can visit the city, collect your item, retrieve your third person, and leave the cavern to return home. Secondly, you can retrieve your third person and leave the cavern to return home. Thirdly, you can collect your item and leave the cavern to return home. Though in this outcome, Elizabeth’s life with end when you exit this room. Lastly, one or two of you can leave this cavern empty handed or with something you did not come to collect and all your lives will be ended when you exit this room.”

“So we all leave together, with or without the ZPM or one or more of us dies?”

“One or all,” Avid corrected. “You may sacrifice Elizabeth to collect your item.”

“Can I sacrifice Todd to take Elizabeth and the item?” John asked. Avid merely smiled.

“There is one last thing you need to know. Collecting your item and retrieving your third person will not be as simple as you think. You cannot leave the city with both at the same time, though you two cannot separate.”

“So I can’t leave the city with the item, and leave Todd to get Elizabeth?”

“Correct. You must leave the city together, then both return together for the other whatever was left behind.”

“Okay, then I have a question.” Avid nodded. “How do we get to the city?”

Avid smiled, took a step backwards and merged into the wall leaving a door in his place. John stared dumbly for a moment before he swallowed, licked his lips and moved forward.

“So long as I don’t have to drink any little unmarked bottles or eat cakes that say ‘eat me’ on them - Into wonderland we go.”

~*~

As a little girl, Elizabeth remembered walking the market places with her guardians, looking at all the trinkets and materials that people brought. Back then, people never paid her much attention, skirting around her but continuing with their normal business as they always did. That was when she was a child, though, unimportant and nothing more than a potential Priestess to them. There were always three or more children who could become that higher level to them, but until that day came, they were just children who needed to be given just a little bit of space and leniency. As a higher level adult, you get given a wider circle, heads bowed and every stall or shop you paused would give you their undivided attention with a worried expression. At the top – where Elizabeth was now, though, was a completely different story.

Word that she was out of the palace spread like wild fire. The first mutters were always the easiest to hear, and if the day out was planned, she could almost guarantee everyone in sight of the palace would see the assembled marshal, and information that she was out in the city would reach the walls before she even set foot outside. No matter what street she turned down she would find people bowing to her, as if they’d known the path she would take. Sometimes it was frightening to see, that someone from the end of one street would let the next know she was coming. In the market place, everyone would stick to the sides, approaching stalls only when they were sure she wasn’t going their way, and the stall and shop owners would be ready, waiting to help and often offer up tasty treats or a drink as she moved. She could never accept. Her head marshal, always at her side, would clear his throat as a reminder to words he would always say before leaving the palace. “We don’t know if any of these people would rather see you dead – food could be poisoned.”

She could understand his reluctance, his concerns, but she found it annoying. For hundreds of years and Lady Priestesses before her had been loved, never feared and never hated. The necklace around her throat held a crystal that kept their shield working for as long as she was alive. Anyone attempting to kill her would endanger the whole city. The end of her life before a new Lady Priestess was ready would open their lives up to attack from other continents and alien races the likes of which had only been heard of in stories. Not only that, she helped her people. The system of living they had meant no one went hungry – there would always be a lower class, closer to the walls of city, but should they find themselves really struggling to live then Elizabeth would help them with food and attempt to find a way to improve their life – if only a little.

They were protected, happy, and comfortable with their lives. If crime broke out – as it sometimes did, then the criminals would be stopped by the constant presence of the royal marshal. A trial would be held in all cases and Elizabeth would be sitting in the room with a view of all parties involved and listening to the information given. The final decision on his guilt or innocence was her choice as the punishment he would receive for the act. No one had walked away feeling she was unjust or showing favouritism. To her, there was no upper and lower class in the city; there were only her people, the people she loved and cared for daily.

As she turned onto Market Street to find the path through to the outer wall completely clear, she caught sight of something, movement along the top of the wall. She stopped, watching the three marshals gather close to the gate as another, already on watch at the gate, stood up and indicated down to the outside of the city. Her curiosity peaked and she looked back down at the gate at the far end of Market Street. There was nothing in sight.

A gasp from the side made Elizabeth and her marshal turn quickly to look at a woman. It was a moment before she realised the woman was staring at the ground just in front of Elizabeth’s feet and she looked down to find a toddler sitting on the ground reaching for her dress. Her little fingers curled around the side of Elizabeth’s dress just as big green eyes turned to look up at her. Elizabeth smiled before reaching down to pick the girl up. Off the side of her vision, the woman stiffened. She was moments away from asking the child her name, regardless of her ability to answer, when people near the gate began to shout and several began running away.

Elizabeth moved quickly, crossing the distance to the woman she handed over the girl and began purposefully striding through the market towards the gate. She passed several marshals attempting to calm the crowd, their voices loud enough to catch attention. She saw the young marshal as he turned and spotted her approach and watched him swallow hard before he stepped out in front of her. He gave a very nervous short bow before daringly looking her in the eye.

“I'm sorry, Priestess. I can't let you approach the main gate. There is a Wraith in the area.”

Her eyes flicked to the gate over his shoulder, and she took in the form dressed in black. He didn't look like a Wraith; in fact he looked shockingly familiar. Her brow creased for a moment before the man wandered to the side to someone he was with and a shiver of dread passed down her spine. The man was with this Wraith. It seemed to be the only reason her marshals hadn't shot the beast. She looked up at the walls again. The three marshals who had moved along the wall earlier had their weapons trained on them. A marshal outside the gate approached them carefully.

“Alright,” Elizabeth said turning her attention back to the young man. “I'll wait here if you have that marshal report to me when he re-enters the city.” Swallowing, the man nodded and moved away to carry out her order.

“Why would anyone befriend a Wraith?” Elizabeth turned to look at Cayton, her main protector. It was a reasonable quest and one she hoped the man outside was asking.

~*~

John paused in front of Todd, fixing the Wraith with a daring glare; this was entirely his fault after all. He was about to ask Todd why he had to be such an inconvenient monster when someone else spoke.

“State your business here.”

He turned and took in the middle-aged man in a military uniform.

“We're here to speak with your queen.” John replied.

Confusion crossed the man’s face for a second. “The Lady Priestess doesn't accept strangers on the first day in the city, and we don't accept Wraith or their collaborators in.”

Lady Priestess? “Trust me, if I didn't have to be seen with him I wouldn't.” The man stared at him with a blank expression. John moved away from Todd and closer to the officer with a smile. “I'm Major John Sheppard, come from a planet we named Atlantica. We were told you had something in your city that would help us; I was hoping to trade for it.”

“You may enter, he may not.”

“That's a slight problem.” John licked his lips. “You see, I'm stuck with him, if I pass your walls without him, we both die. Now while I don't care much for him, I would like to go back to the woman I love.”

“Even if I were able to ask the Priestess, the wraith may not enter.”

“Maybe you can talk her into coming down here to talk to me. Gate closed if you want.”

The man’s face hardened. “I will do no such thing. Find a way to enter without him and you might get lucky to catch sight of the Lady Priestess today.”

He turned and walked away before John could think of a response. He turned back to glare at Todd who gave him another horrifying grin.

 

~*~

It was only a minute after the conversation on the other side of the gate ended before the marshal appeared before looking more uncomfortable than the young man standing behind him. She quirked a brow, more on the idea that she needed to teach her people to relax in her company than in question.

Belatedly, the man gave a quick bow. “Lady Priestess.”

“Who is he?” She asked, careful to keep her tone calming.

“He tells his name as Major John Sheppard. He also tells that he's bound to the Wraith and wishes to trade with you for something that will aid his people.”

“Something specific?”

“He did not say, Priestess.”

Elizabeth turned to look at the man on the other side of the gate. He was still standing a good distance from the Wraith fidgeting with something on the ground. The twinge of something familiar flooded her again, persistent and shockingly soothing. She took a step forward and was shocked that the man had reached out and taken her arm.

“Lady Priestess,” he said, quickly releasing his grip. “I don't trust anything he has said.”

She regarded him for a long moment. “Then gather the marshals and have them ready to fire if he tries anything.” She stepped around him and headed for the gate amazed that her personal guard hadn't tried to stop her. Though they knew better than to try and influence her choice and simply stuck to keeping her safe.

She stopped a few steps from the gate, listening as the marshals gathered around her and readied their weapons. As they settled, she felt the wind blow the white material of her dress, showing her petticoat off to anyone watching her. She didn't care, and running a hand down her stomach licked her lips and straightened her back.

“Major Sheppard.” She watched as he turned to the gate, a flicker of shock passed over his face before it turned into pleasant surprise. He took her in from head to toe and finally started moving towards her. She watched him, the way he moved and watched her. The flick of his eyes to the petticoat as the wind picked it up again made her brow quirk and then raise to join the first as his eyes came back, lingering at her cleavage on the way.

“You must be the Lady Priestess,” he said stopping only a step away from the gate. Several of the marshals around her stiffened and adjusted their grips on weapons.

“What is this item you believe we possess?”

“All business. Okay. It’s a power module. We use it to power our city. There are only a few left and we've... lost the ability to make more.”

“You bring a Wraith to my city, frighten my people, then expect to simply walk in and trade for this power module. Tell me, Major, what were you going to do if I refused to give it to you.”

He smiled. “Sweet talk you?” She didn’t smile. Not a single muscle in her body reacted to the joke. “I have no intention of hurting anyone. I'll keep him in my sight or shoot him myself if he tries anything. In fact bring him in, lock him up and only let him out when we leave.”

“And you?”

He visibly swallowed. “If you want, have me guarded, I won't object. Lock me up when I'm not discussing the trade. All I ask is that you listen to me. I'll surrender my weapon; you can take anything from me you think is dangerous. I just want some time with you. Doesn't even have to be alone. But I would like to walk to you with some amount of privacy.”

She studied him again, wondering why he was so familiar, why she could so easily agree to letting him have anything he wanted. The idea of him in her bed brought a touch of a flush to her cheeks but she didn't look away from him.

“Master Cayton.” She waited for him to step forward. She didn't take her eyes off John.

“Yes, Priestess?”

“Allow them entry. Lock the Wraith up near the gate with heavy guard, then bring the Major to the palace.”

“Yes, Priestess.”

“And master Cayton,” she turned to look at Cayton. “Deprive them of all possessions.”

“Yes, Priestess,” he said with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

John sat patiently. He had managed to get into the city, and on Elizabeth’s good graces, his vest had been taken and his pockets emptied as well as any hidden weapons taken; he had volunteered the one they missed. Now he was waiting for the Priestess' high marshal, Master Cayton, to check Todd's security and escort him to the palace.

From what he had seen, the Priestess' palace was the tallest building and stood made of pure black stone in the middle of the city. Despite the dark stone, it had looked glorious in the few seconds he had managed to catch a glance at it. He knew he would get a better look as they walked up there, he just hadn't been able to help himself. After all, that was where Elizabeth currently lived and the over protective side of him wanted to know she was safe and happy.

“Let's go,” Cayton said, walking past him without bothering to stop. John got up and followed. “As I said Mister Sheppard, your rank means nothing here. I am the High Marshal, that means the only person of higher rank than me is the Lady Priestess herself. I've known her all her life.” John seriously doubted that but said nothing. “And I have no intention of having her killed by some stranger with a friendly smile and a sense of humour.” Cayton paused and turned to look at him. “Every Marshal in this city will put his life on the line to protect her, so should you try something, you’ll find yourself with more protection to fight through than you can even consider possible.”

“I have no intension of hurting her. She looks like the woman I plan to marry one day.” That thought had been lingering in the back of his mind since seeing the white dress she wore here. “I just want to trade for the item and get out of here so I can get rid of that Wraith.”

“Good. Then there are things you should remember when in her presence. Firstly, when you step into her view, show her a sign of respect. She is our law, our protection, our shelter, and ease of our suffering. She has the respect of every single person in this city. Always address her as Priestess. Should she be with younger Priestess', address her as Lady Priestess.”

“How will I know the younger ones?”

“They all wear the same. Not one Priestess is seen in anything but white and no one else will be seen in the colour.” John nodded.

They walked in silence and john took in the full effect of the Priestess palace. He noticed first that the rock shimmered, lessening the effect of the blackness. It also gave the building an air of beauty that was perfectly fitting for a queen. The grand building seemed to consist of two towers, topped in similar style to the two tallest spires in Atlantis. Cayton led him in to the larger of the two, walking purposefully up the steps and into the entry hall without pausing.

John had to stop. He couldn't take in the vastness of the room on a walk through. High ceilings and elaborately decorated walls, thin gold decorations adorned patches of walls while other had cloths either patterned or left plain. Either way, the effect was stunning beyond belief. At the top of a gold banister stairwell that split in either direction, Cayton stood talking to a young woman dressed in the Priestess white. She turned after a moment and, with straight back and proper posture, she vanished up the stairs. John barely caught sight of the red band around her wrist under the dress as she turned out of view.

John ascended the stairs. “What's with the ribbon?” he asked indicating his wrist.

“Status. She is one of the five possible Lady Priestesses of our future. This way.” The room he was led to was just as elegantly designed and equally as bright, though john could see no evidence of lighting. It was empty when he stepped in, and Cayton indicated the table and chairs before leaving through a different door.

John sat and waited, taking in the similarities between this room and the entry hall. He managed to mentally trace one of the wire patterns before the door opened again and Elizabeth came in followed by a young girl. Dressed in green, the girl steadily and quickly crossed to the table as John got to his feet. She placed a tray of drinks and snacks down before turning, giving a short bow, and leaving. John gave a longer and slightly lower bow as the door clicked shut.

“You have my attention, Mister Sheppard.”

“I know you don't remember me,” he started and her brow rose. “But we came here together. We've lived in the same city for two years and practically shared a room for the last six months.”

“Your right. I don't remember, and frankly, I don't believe you either.”

“Okay.” He licked his lips. “I can understand that.” He moved closer, stopping only a step or two away. “But if I was lying to you, would I know about the mark on your left thigh, just above your knee?” He took a step forward. “Or the butterfly on your lower back, left side and just low enough to be classed as 'on you bottom' as you put it?”

She was shocked, stunned. No one knew about those marking except her room maid. She tried hard not to let her surprise show, but John was grinning like mad.

“I also know about that mole...”

“Stop.” She really didn't want nosy people spreading stories about a mole at the very top of her right thigh. The butterfly and blemish she didn't mind, but that mole was in a very intimate location. “If you and I know each other, why can't I remember?”

“That's part of some challenge for me. Leave with both you and the power node. And at the same time leave and enter the city at the same time as Todd.”

“Todd. I didn't know the Wraith had names.”

“I gave him one. I also can't leave the city with both you and the ZPM at the same time.”

Elizabeth’s brow rose. For the life of her she couldn't understand why someone would go through something so complicated. Then it occurred to her that these people must be desperate for the power device, this ZPM.

“ZPM?”

“Our name for them. Stands for Zero Point Module.”

“And you think we have one. Tell me, what would you do if ours was in use?”

“I'd thank you for your time and switch to talking you into stepping out of the city with me.”

“I can't leave my people unprotected; to leave the city would mean lowering the shield that stops the wraith.”

“You control the shield?”

“I am the shield. My life is connected to it. Should I die, the shield would fail.”

“Son of a... That's what Todd wanted.”

“He's here to kill me.”

“Yeah, only it’s a little more complicated. He can use your life against me because he knows there's something between us.”

“I want him out of my city. Now.”

“Elizab--”

“Don't address me by name.”

Her tone of voice was so harsh she almost winced when John did. She was sure by the look he gave her that she’d never once lost her temper with him like that, though she was positive that he had heard the level of anger before. Especially if he was telling her the truth.

“My apologies, Priestess,” he said genuinely meaning it.

She moved then, stepping around to the opposite side of the long table from him and sat down in one of the chairs. She took a moment to compose herself wondering if he would break the silence. He didn't and she watched out the corner of her eye as he sat down on the other side of the desk. She studied him again, this time taking in the features she found appealing. His rough, unkempt hair, strong arms and face. He would never be accepted by her advisers, he didn't fit at all into their idea of the Lady Priestess’ husband. That thought made her want to reach over and drag him onto the table and do very naughty things with him, but she resisted.

“What does this zero point module look like?”

~*~

This was going to be more complicated than he thought. While Elizabeth seemed to be more amenable to helping with the ZPM, she hadn't yet agreed to leave the city at any point. Knowing what Todd was here for set his senses on fire. He mentally counted large groups of people as he passed them and put the numbers together. Of course, Elizabeth’s elected count was something like twenty thousand people in this city alone, and she made it clear that, as the capital, she was the life line to every settlement the planet over. A grand feast of four million people.

Then there was the ZPM itself, sitting in the middle of a maze, of all things. He stood now on the balcony at the back of the Priestess palace with a pretty young beginner named Norallia.

“Do you know a way through?” he asked.

“No,” she said firmly. He knew from her that the first thing they are taught was that the only people higher in rank were older priestess' and Elizabeth. “The maze goes underground when you make it to the city.” Fabulous. “There are also obstacles once you get down there.” Nothing was ever easy. John leaned on the railing his eyes forward but not seeing anything but Norallia. She had stood properly since they stepped out here, her hands clasped in front of her.

“Does anyone have a map?” She looked at him as if she didn't understand. “You know, a plan of what it’s like down there.”

“The arches that would have held such an item were lost a long time ago. Anyone who has been down there since has been lost.”

“Literally,” John muttered. It sounded to him that anyone who went down, didn't come back up.

~*~

He couldn't help the grin. Everything was going just as he planned. Sheppard was far too predictable and he'd led not only himself but the leader of Atlantis to their doom. Soon, he would be free and he was willing to bet these people would be more interested in finding him than admitting to the queen that she was in danger. Then again, Elizabeth Weir was just as easy to predict. She would focus on finding him and protecting her people before looking after herself. He didn't mind. It would make it that much easier to get to her. Just then the door opened and the timid boy they always sent stepped in.

“Your friend has entered the maze,” he said. Todd let his grin widen.

“Good,” was all he said before he shot from his seat on the bench and broke the man’s neck. Just another weak human.

~*~

John readjusted the bags over his shoulders making sure the metal clips didn't meet in the middle of his chest. The weight of each was evenly spread, making it more comfortable for him, but at the same time made him worry that they thought he would be down in the dungeon maze for more than a few days. More like a few months. The first meeting with Elizabeth had been enough to convince her he wasn't a danger to them. He had used the second to convince her they knew each other well. Very well. It had worked. She had accidentally let a piece of information about him slip and then realised how she knew it.

Their last meeting, with Cayton, Norallia and a servant holding his bags had ended with a kiss he had started. She' readily accepted and just as easy took control as he knew she would.

“Why do you hesitate?” Norallia asked. They were at the centre of the upper maze and he was staring at the dark and looming entrance to the underground level.

“I'll be completely cut off.” He swallowed really taking that info in for the first time. “I won't know if Todd tries something.”

“There are stories that you and our Lady Priestess are from another planet. That you were married there too.”

“We weren't married yet.” He scoffed a laugh. “Not even sure she would agree to marry me.”

“Before I was chosen to be a Priestess, my mother used to tell me 'the only way to get through life is by learning things. You can't learn anything without asking questions.'” She paused to look at him. “The only thing I really remember about that lesson was 'you won't know until you ask'.”

“Out smarted by an eight year old.” John smiled. “Problem now is that I have to get her back in order to ask her.”

Norallia smiled back at him. “Then you better survive down there.” She patted his arm and turned to take the route back out of the small maze.

~*~

She marched down the hall, stopping only to usher the children back into the nursery before continuing to the entry hall.

“What's going on?” she demanded, watching as several of her Marshals jumped at the sudden boom of her voice, any other time or place the sight could have been amusing.

“The Wraith has escaped, Priestess. He killed four of the marshals guarding him.”

Calmly, and much to the speaker's distress, Elizabeth walked slowly towards him. She stopped mere centimetres away from him and in a low voice asked, “And what exactly is being done to find him?” Despite her lack of height and muscle in comparison to the men around her, the speaker visibly shuddered in fear. Only her selected marshals knew of the full extent of her power, abilities that were enhanced inside the walls of the palace.

He swallowed hard and licked his lips. “The city marshals are searching everywhere, advising people to stay in groups and find a place to hide if they see him.”

“And just what do you think his goal is?”

The man faltered and one of those behind him quickly spoke up. “To kill you, Lady Priestess.” Her eyes took in the rest of the men standing around the entry of the palace. There were only a handful in comparison to her full palace guard.

“Where are the rest of the palace marshals?”

“At their duty stations, Lady Priestess.”

“Reduce the numbers at each station, gather as many as you can. Set patrols around the outside of the palace. Leave no gaps and make sure you can always see at least two other marshals at all times. If he makes it into this building, I will be reconsidering the value of every man that walks that patrol.” She took another step towards the first speaker, watching as he stiffened at how close she was now. “Is that clear?”

“Yes, Lady Priestess.” The man responded instantly. She stood her ground for a moment more before taking a step backwards and turned away from them. She heard the breath he let out as she started up the stairs.

~*~

John paused at the corner and the distinct growl of something that sounded to him as if it was going to be massive. He'd been wandering around down here for what felt like hours. The lights were dim, creating an air of mystery and spookiness that made John think he was in some bad horror movie or an episode of the X-Files. Any minute now, he expected either a vampire or a little green man to appear. The latter he would be able to deal with, but he had no wooden stake for the vampire.

Slipping the piece of bread into his mouth, John peaked cautiously around the corner at what looked like a puppy sitting licking at his paw. Two years in Atlantis had taught John that looks could be very deceiving. Wishing for better light, and thankful Elizabeth had given him his sidearm back, he stepped around the corner and walked slowly towards the creature.

Sensing that someone was approaching, the puppy stopped grooming and growled a low tiny growl that wasn't even remotely menacing. When it started yapping at him, John almost laughed at how stupid it felt being afraid of a puppy. That was before he noticed the glow of eyes further down the passage way. He moved a few steps forward retracing his route in his head and wondering how much time he would lose by back tracking. Deciding it was unacceptable to turn around, he stopped a step away from the puppy and looked down to find it was gone.

Raising only his eyes to look down the corridor, John cocked his gun and licked his lips before taking a few precautionary steps. Before he had finished his third step, the light in the hall brightened and he found himself standing face to face with Elizabeth. Fighting the urge to step back from shock, John swallowed hard and waited for whatever she would do.

“Do you really think I would marry you?” It took a moment for her words to sink in and he glanced down out of habit and realised she was wearing her Atlantis uniform. It took effort to think and convince himself she wasn't real. “Why would I want to marry a,” her eyes flicked to his hair. “Scruffy, disobedient, nobody like you.”

“Because I'm cute.” It was an impulsive response, one he had given to Elizabeth countless times. One time in particular sprang to mind. She had been laying in bed reading and he'd done everything he could think of to get her in the mood. She had jokingly asked why she'd want to have sex with him, of all people, and he'd given that response.

In front of him, Elizabeth let out a hearty laugh. He didn't have time for this. Every second he spent dealing with the puzzles this maze could throw at him was another second Todd could use to escape and kill Elizabeth. Reaching out he touched her arm to test if she was real and felt the familiar texture of their uniforms.

“I don't want to marry you,” he said confidently. “I want to marry the real Elizabeth Weir.” He stepped around her and continued down the corridor. A few paces away from her, the corridor descended into darkness and he had to stop to let his eyes readjust. He had known when he got down here that he wouldn't find the ZPM easily, but so far the things this maze had thrown his way were child’s play. A math puzzle, a pattern puzzle, and a fake Elizabeth were hardly challenging.

He turned the corner to a dead end. Turning back, he found a wall had appeared right behind him, completely trapping him in. He quirked a brow. He wasn't claustrophobic, but it was disconcerting to find the maze could change at random. He wondered if it really could or if, like Elizabeth, this was another deception, a trick on his mind. He turned back to the first wall, where he wanted to go and place his hand on the brick. It wasn't cold and damp like he would expect, but warm to the touch.

Wishing for better light, John started examining every nook and cranny he could find, poking fingers into the gaps to see if something would trigger a reaction. When nothing worked, he turned a frustrated glare on the way he had come and reached out to slap the wall. Instantly, the floor beneath him dropped and plunged down into darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Elizabeth stepped into her room, frustrated over the disagreement with her advisors. They wanted a guard standing in her room all night, and she was just not willing to agree to that. She had letters to write, she’d need to get changed at some point, and asking some random man in her room to turn around just wasn't enough to preserve her dignity. Not to mention, the temperature of the day had turned her room into an oven, and she would like nothing more than to just sit in her underwear right now.

She dropped her papers on the desk, making sure to keep them separated, and turned to look for something cooler to wear and found him standing only a few paces away. Knowing why he was there made his respectful head bow seem superfluous at best, but the usual daunting grin when he looked back up betrayed his thinking.

“How did you get in here?”

Todd didn't answer. “I was led to believe your people’s custom was to smile politely and say hello when they meet with old friends.”

“You're far from a friend, Todd, old or new.”

“You disappoint me, Doctor Weir. You so easily dropped your persona of this world.”

“You disappoint me. I was led to believe you weren't stupid and you knew all about each and every person in Atlantis. Yet you assume I wouldn't work out your plan.” Todd’s grin faltered as she took a step forward. “You’re also under the misguided notion that I won't kill you first. People always make that mistake.”

She took several steps to the side, knowing where the weapons were hidden in the whole city had given her a strong advantage. She wrapped her hand around the hilt of a dagger and waited.

“I'm not naive enough to think you only have one plan, either. You see, John Sheppard is a very quick judge of character and I've listened to every detail of information he had about you.” She took another step towards him. “Just another advantage of sharing a bed with him.” She stopped close. “I also know the reason you haven't attacked yet is so I have the chance to put up a convincing argument or at least give you the fun of a fight.”

His grin grew again. “And you can't wait to play my games.”

“You’re wrong again. You see,” she said producing the dagger from behind her back. “Pulling the dagger from its hiding place tripped an alarm.” The door opened on cue and she took a few quick steps back as the marshals swarmed the room. She had to fight back the self satisfied smirk, keeping her countenance and authority.

“You have overestimated these people's ability to protect you.” Todd's grin returned. “Without Colonel Sheppard to protect you, you will die.” The second he had finished the sentence, he struck out, ripping the weapon from the nearest marshal and impaling him with it.

Elizabeth stepped back. As he took out two more of the marshals without effort, she expected him to fight, but she had honestly put more confidence in the abilities of these people. The door opened as one man screamed in pain and several more men came rushing in. Another step back, Elizabeth found herself in the corner blocked off from the door or any windows. Trapped.

She kept her eyes fixed on Todd, watching as he managed to kill every single man who had tried to protect her. Finished, Todd turned a dangerous glare on her.

“There is no one left to protect you,” he said moving towards her. “No more games, Doctor Weir.”

\---

John stood staring at the ZPM. There had to have been a better way to get here than falling through the floor, but that aside he had yet to work out how to actually get hold of the thing. It was right there. He could have reached out and touched it if there hadn't been some stupid shield in the way. He knew; he'd tried and been burned, almost literally. Since then he had studied the room for clues but hadn't found a thing. Unless you counted the numerous bodies that littered the room. And by numerous, he meant hundreds. it seemed to him that everyone who had tried had made it this far and then died of starvation.

It hadn't escaped John's notice that there was no door out, along with the lack of everything else. He figured that the trick to getting out was in actually retrieving the ZPM in the first place; which was proving to be something of a mystery at the moment. There was nothing to do down here. He would have expected at least a math puzzle or something, but nope, not a thing.

He looked around again. All he could see in the half light was bones and the pedestal with the ZPM on it. John let out a long slow breath. There was nothing more frustrating than this and nothing more frightening than knowing Todd was out in the city within reach of Elizabeth.

Moving to one wall, John pulled the torch off its bracket and lowered it to the patch of wall nearby. There had to be something. He couldn't believe that this was it, a dank room with never ending fire torches and three hundred dead bodies. He quirked a brow and took a deep breath. There was no smell, no decomp, no stale air - it was fresh. That meant there had to be a way to get out. Either that or the people who built it used magic to stop people from gagging. Adding the need to answer that question to his list, John started off around the edge of the room.

At first he saw nothing, assuming that the thin line that ran the middle of the wall was nothing more than a flaw in the building of the room. Then he passed the first notch, two peaks in the line that went up an inch or two. The next notch had three peaks, the middle one facing down. Just before the corner, he found a notch of five peaks, every other one facing down. A math puzzle, obviously. Down the next wall he found seven, 11 and 13 before hitting the corner.

“Prime numbers.” John said following the line on to 17 and 19. The corner had a very small line passing around it before he counted 23 and the line dropped down sharply. In front of him on the ground was the biggest pile of bones in the room, it made him think one of the people down here had tried to solve the puzzle. Considering the pile of bones against the wall, John wondered if there were 29 bodies there or just 29 parts of bodies. Either way, he would have to start again, the reason he hadn't noticed anything so far was because this concentration of bones was blocking anything that might be there on the ground.

Dropping his bag on the floor a little way back down the wall, John began shifting the pile of bones to the side. Almost instantly, he could see the start of the blue line that moved out from the wall. Clearing the space he found a box on the floor with a picture of a person and a picture of a bone. Looking back at the pile of bodies he'd just moved, he figured that the picture didn't mean the correct number of bodies as bones. Maybe it just meant he needed 29 bones. Perhaps even one body and then the right amount of bones. How many bones did the human body have? Moving back to the heap, John pulled one of the skeletons off and moved it to the box. Looking around the room, he collected 29 loose bones and dropped them in the square with it. Nothing happened and for a moment, he considered going back to the middle and trying to touch the ZPM.

Daring, he moved over to the pedestal and reached out. The shimmer of the shield flickered before he could get too close and he quickly pulled back. Turning back to the wall slightly frustrated, John considered how many possible ways there were of interpreting a man and a bone. There were too many bones in the human body - 206 of them - but even that didn't split very well into 29.

"Seven point ten." Maybe he needed to do 29 squared. That would mean he needed four bodies and eight bones. Moving back to the box, John decided he'd better try the 29 bones on their own before he started messing with skeletons, so he dragged off the full body. Turning back to the ZPM he saw it shimmer and quirked a brow. Something had to be right, or close.

Stepping back into the box to check he had exactly 29 bones, John found himself blinking into the brightness that flooded the room. He turned, watching as the shield around the ZPM vanished. Grinning, he stepped out of the box and headed for his prize, only to find the lights went out and the shield returned.

"Okay," John said, taking a backward step into the box again, this time ready for the lights. "One puzzle down, one to go." Glaring at the ZPM, John cautiously stepped out of the box again. It was only a second before the room responded and he had to step back again. "Can't walk, can't run that fast. WWRD, what would Rodney do?"

Stepping out of the box, he grabbed his bag and moved back over to the ZPM. Stepping around it, he positioned himself so he could see back towards the box and where he hoped he would be standing. Crouching down, he opened the bag and took out anything breakable or too solid that could break the ZPM. He placed the bag carefully against the edge of the shield, hoping that his idea would work and then headed back for the box, picking up extra things as he went. He paused at the blue outline, wondering if he could hold other items inside the box. Deciding there was only one real way to find out, he stepped in and was relieved when the lights filled the room again.

Turning, John adjusted his position until he was sure hitting the ZPM would make it land on the bag and then threw the first object. It missed and John nervously licked his lips as the voice of his old training commander filled his brain. He shook the voice away, letting his mind wonder how Elizabeth would be helping if she was down here. Well, if she couldn't simply just walk up to the pedestal and take the damn thing. The gentle tone of 'you can do it, John' replaced the cranky instructor and John found himself focusing better on his target. Throwing the second, he heard it ting off the side of the ZPM and watched for a moment as it wobbled on the spot. Swallowing, he threw another, and watched with a held breath as the device tipped slightly over the edge and then dropped back into the place.

With a slight growl, John threw the next item with more force than he expected and watched as the ZPM flew off the pedestal. The expected crash never came and he rushed out of the box and found the ZPM laying on top of his bag. A quick "Yes" of victory, John grabbed the device and the bag at the same time and instantly found himself standing in front of Elizabeth and a little too close for comfort.

"Hi," he said, then took in the fear on her face and the fact that she was pressed into the corner of a room. "What's wrong?" he asked. Her eyes flicked to something over her shoulder and John turned his head to find Todd standing there with a smirk on his face. Thinking quickly, John pressed the ZPM into her hands before turning fully to the Wraith. "Todd," he said calmly. "Good to see the locals haven't killed you yet. Did you come for a social visit?" He knew his tone of voice was a touch too sarcastic, but he didn't care. He knew what Todd was after, knew what he intended to do and had hoped these people were good enough to protect Elizabeth. He'd been wrong on the last part, considering the number of men laying dead on the floor of the room and the blood dripping off Todd's knife. "You know, its not polite to stab people in their own rooms." He slipped his hand carefully into his pocket and around the handle of his sidearm, never more thankful than now that he'd been given a weapon.

"As always," Todd seethed. "Your reputation at showing up just in time precedes you."

"Thanks," John said, equally as sarcastic. "And your nature, as always, has a way of making you predictable." He pulled the gun from his pocket. "And as always, my weapon's better than yours." The smirk on Todd's face morphed quickly into anger. John expected him to attack, but instead the knife dropped to the floor and Todd stepped back several paces. "Okay, here's what's gonna happen now. You and me, we're going for a walk. We're gonna leave the city and you are gonna be a good little Wraith and wait with a stupid amount of guards for me to return. The ZPM is going with us, but will be kept safe and out of your reach where it will be a good little device and stay put until I collect it. Elizabeth," he stole a quick look over his shoulder. "Is going to do whatever she needs to do here so that she can leave the city. Then together, we're getting out of here. Got it?" Todd only hissed in answer. "Good," John said before reaching behind him for the ZPM. "Let's go."

\----

After telling John she was fine a million times, Elizabeth had to take a few minutes to compose herself. She wasn't fine. By pure luck, John had appeared at the last possible minute to save her. She'd wanted to kiss him right then and there. John, however, still believed she had no memory of him. It had been fun to start with, watching John stumble about trying to work out what was going on and how to respond to her. Now she just wanted to feel safe and protected, and if he thought he couldn't touch her, she wouldn't get that feeling anytime soon. She sat in the outchamber for several minutes after John left, trying to get the thought of her mortality out of her head and focus on what she needed to do now, but for a long time she couldn't push out just how close Todd had gotten to her, how close he'd come to actually killing her.

Finally composed, she walked steadily back to her rooms. The guards and staff had been busy cleaning up while she was gone and she stepped back into the main room to the fresh smell of orange and a very clean room. She crossed the bedroom to the maid's door and slipped through it to the small bedroom on the other side. It was a strange room; she'd thought so a few days ago when she'd woken in it, light and airy even though there were no windows. Candles were the only light and heat source and even with a large number lit, it was still cool and soothing in the small room.

"You survived," Eleanor said, giving her a wide smile from her seat on the bed. "I take it you'd like to give back the gem and go home now?"

She had to bite her tongue to stop from instantly saying yes. It wouldn't have been a completely true answer. Aside from Todd's recent attempt on her life, she'd enjoyed being the Queen of a city filled with people who loved her. The respect, the affection, and the interaction she still had with 'her people' was amazing.

"You told me when I woke up," Elizabeth started, moving to the table and picking up the small statuette of the first queen. "That you liked it better when they replaced you as queen and stuck you as a maid. You said it gave you time to think of ways to better the lives of your people." Eleanor gave a small laugh. "What you really meant was that you enjoyed watching how not to run a city."

"In most cases that's true. But you," Eleanor got up and moved close to her. "You have the better of me. You already run a city full of people. Granted, there aren't as many people in your city, but still. You know how to deal with the military, the people, the advisors who always question you and try to belittle you. Most of the people who come here are just the current leader who's best skill is hunting or running from the Wraith. You were a challenge."

"There are things you have that I wish I could get away with," Elizabeth said honestly and at Eleanor's raised eyebrow added, "The dresses, for a start. I get stuck with horrible grey pants and a red shirt every day. You get a beautiful dress and a choice of petticoats." Eleanor just smiled and shook her head. "You have protection from the Wraith. I wish I could have that peace of mind for my people."

"The power module is full and in a few months another will be placed down in the maze with a new puzzle for John to try and solve." Elizabeth laughed. "In the meantime, you can take my place, try and annoy me first thing in the morning and for the love of all things sacred, don't bring a Wraith!"

"Oh no, definitely not. Though I will have fun later telling Todd the necklace I've been wearing the whole time was a fake."

"And telling John you were just 'messing with his head', I believe you put it."

"Oh, yeah. But I won't tell him that until we're back home and completely alone. That way I can be ready for any arguments."

Eleanor laughed again and they shared a moment of silence. "You can keep what you're wearing, fake gem included. Your uniform will be brought to you at the gate, probably already on it's way there now along with a few things I think you'll like and some useful items."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Elizabeth. You and John are welcome back here anytime to try for another power device and to give me a break."

Elizabeth smiled. "And you are very welcome to pay us a visit if you feel like a change of scenery."

"Don't joke about that, I may hold you to it." Another small stretch of silence. "A small warning - as you pass through the market, people will know you're leaving and offer you many things. Feel free to accept anything you like this time."

"Thank you, again." Elizabeth gave Eleanor a smile and left the room to head for the entry hall.


	5. Chapter 5

John pushed Todd ahead of him as he walked through the market. Cayton walked along beside him and several other guards were scattered around walking at a distance from the Wraith. John couldn't blame any of them for not wanting to go near him. Single-handedly, Todd had managed to kill at least two dozen men in his time here. He would have to remember to find the real queen of this planet and apologise for bringing the Wraith with him. It had to have been the biggest mistake he'd made all year. He had a slightly bigger problem to deal with first - after kicking Todd out and making sure he wasn't about to hurt more innocent people - and that was getting Elizabeth back.

Without her memories of life in Atlantis, and with him, he was going to have a hard time convincing her to leave the city. A queen would never leave her subjects and if this particular queen was anything like the Elizabeth he knew, she'd be here forever. He had already promised himself he wouldn't force her. If he had to go back to Atlantis without her and come back every so often to try again... every day to try again, he amended, then he would.

"One thing at a time," he muttered under his breath. Hide the ZPM, make sure Todd wasn't about to hurt anyone, and then figure out how to convince Elizabeth she didn't belong here.

They passed through the door and out of the protective barrier of the city before John stopped. He didn't want to leave the ZPM anywhere Todd could get hold of it. The last thing they needed was a Wraith with a bargaining chip. Cayton already had instructions and an additional plan on dealing with Todd and for that part, John had complete trust that the monster would still be here when he returned, or at the very least Todd gone and no one else dead. But he hadn't worked out what to do with the ZPM yet.

A call from the top level of the wall turned John to look up at one of the archers. Additional security for Todd, he thought before turning back to look at the Wraith. Todd had stopped in the middle of the path heading out of the city. He just stood there, his back to the city and head high as if he was proud of what he'd almost accomplished. If he tried to run, one, or even all, the archers on the wall would be able to take a clear shot at his back. That was when John realised the best place for the ZPM was up on that wall. If Todd was going to try to escape he'd run from the structure, not back to it and attempt to climb it for a device he had no use for.

"Cayton," John said, pulling the man from his security check. "Can this be kept up there," he pointed to the top of the wall. "Until I come back for it? Less chance of him getting his scaley fingers on it."

"Of cause," Cayton said and indicated a man behind John. Turning slightly, John saw a teenaged boy dressed in a similar, if not completely kitted out version of the Marshal uniform, a cadet perhaps. The boy stopped a few paces from them and gave a salute before stiffening his posture. "Take this to the top level. Tell them to hide it until you return for it. Your task then is to wait here for Master Sheppard's return and retrieve the device for him. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master Cayton." The ZPM quickly left John's hand, snatched up by the eager boy who took off at a run to prove he could be trusted with the job.

"Hopefully I won't be too long," John said, giving Cayton a smile before turning back to the city.

\----

Elizabeth was impressed with herself. She'd managed to speak with Eleanor and say goodbye to a few people who she'd become very fond of in her time here, even if that was just a few days. She'd stepped off the bottom of the central stairwell to the main hall to wait for John just as he'd come back through the main doors. Every fibre of her being screamed at her legs to run to him, embrace him, and kiss him. But she needed to resist, she had to wait until they were back on Atlantis to tell him she'd agreed to act as though nothing was familiar. She'd actually agreed to be Queen Elizabeth until she was back in front of that wall in the cave.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, she let John come to her, wanting to see what his new approach would be. He'd have had time to think it through by now, the trip out and back giving him plenty of opportunity to find something to say, something that would convince her she needed to follow him down through the market and out that gate. She'd made that walk a thousand times in her life, or at least it felt as though she had. Eleanor's emotions to things like the market place, the children in the palace and her reactions to the Wraith were imposed on her own feelings, confusing her enough to believe she had lived here all her life. Eleanor had said it would only be temporary, but a small part of Elizabeth didn't want to let them go. John stopped in front of her and she had to resist the need to arch a brow at him. He had nothing, not even a 'please'. It made her wonder just what lengths he'd go to in order to get her to leave this planet.

"You have your power module," Elizabeth started, adding a touch of a daring tone to her voice and keeping up her identity as promised.

"Yes I do."

"I didn't expect you to return," she tried, now finding her curiosity about his need to take her with him overpowering.

"I told you, you don't belong here. I won't leave without you."

"And I told you, I won't leave this city."

John licked his lips and looked around the large room. A guard near the entrance stood stiff backed and looking as though he was lost in his own thoughts. She suspected he was listening to every word they said.

"Will you at least walk with me back to the gate?"

"So you can kidnap me?" It wasn't meant as an accusation, but said with a light tone of joking. John smiled at her, making her want that kiss just a little more.

"I wouldn't do that, you have far too many ways to punish me. In two cities. I just want to have more time to talk you into leaving with me, and with Todd out there on his own, I'd rather not linger here trying to convince you."

"You don't trust him." It hadn't been a question. Even as the Queen of this planet, she wouldn't have asked it.

"I do. About as far as I can throw him."

Elizabeth laughed. "Alright," she said sweetly. "I'll walk with you to the gate."

It wasn't until they reached the edge of the market place that Elizabeth decided John had nothing to say, she started to worry that he would actually consider abducting her from the city as a method of getting her home instead of reasoning with her in order to get her to leave willingly. For a few minutes as they walked, she had to question if she really knew him that well or if he'd come to such a desperate situation that he felt he had no other choice.

"You haven't tried to convince me," she said daringly, attempting to provoke him into actually attempting a conversation. John looked over his shoulder at the guards following them, keeping a respectful distance from the couple but still a close eye on her. While the city's inhabitants would play along with whatever woman they were told to treat as royalty, they wouldn't know when to stop. The guards, however, would know instantly that the game was over and she was leaving. Still they wouldn't give their duty up lightly, nor, she suspected more than knew, would they let anyone force her out of the city. John had to get her to leave willingly, that was how it had to be.

"I'm picking my words carefully," he replied. "The Elizabeth I know is much better at convincing people than I am so I expect you to be trickier than me." He gave her a playful smile she couldn't help but return. "I was hoping that when we got to the gate, I'd be able to at least convince you to step out with me, not far, just out to the edge of the shield. I would have filled all the requirements of my challenge at that point and if you still think you belong here, then I'll leave you to return."

It seemed reasonable to her, step out, see if memories returned then come back if not. Only the memories never left. She had to smile to herself at the idea that she could completely play with his mind here. Go out there with him, tell him she still belonged here and head back to the gate - just to see his reaction. A side glance at him told her he was watching her reaction and at the same time he was waiting for her reply.

"I think you've learned more from your Elizabeth than you care to admit," she said honestly. It was a strange thing knowing he'd considered how to convince her, that he'd thought of it from all angles and even given her a step back if she needed one. "And what's to stop you from taking me once we're outside the city gates?" she asked as they passed the final row of stalls and started down the last stretch of road.

John pointed up to the top of the wall. "Three hundred archers," he said, then pointed down along the bottom. "Fifty to one hundred swordsmen and any number of Marshal's you can bring with you. Cayton is out there guarding Todd. You can have him glued to your side if you want." Compromise. Elizabeth stopped sharply several feet from the gate and any guards forcing John to turn quickly to look at her. "I don't want to force you. I just want to be given the chance to get you back." His eyes darted to something over her shoulder and she turned enough to look back at the Marshals and gathering crowd. Turning back she found an expression of fear on his face and he licked his lips before simply adding. "Please."

She nodded. "Just to the edges of the shield."

With a nod, John led her to the gate and out the other side. The first thing Elizabeth noticed was the lack of Marshals. Considering John had walked out here with a handful of guards and Marshals and a Wraith, it was a little daunting to find nothing but open space. She paused, curious about where her people were and most of why what had happened to Todd. John, only a step ahead of her, stopped only a couple of steps later and looked around.

"I left a Wraith here," he said. "Someone took my Wraith." Despite the situation, she couldn't help but smile. She had to look down for a minute to clear it off her face and get back to the situation. "I also left other people," he added turning back to her and forcing her to compose herself quickly. He was about to speak again when a young and very nervous guard appeared. The boy gave a short and clumsy bow to her before turning to John.

"They tried to shoot him, stop him from getting away, but he was too fast.... He..."

"Did he get the power module?"

"No, sir. It's still up in the archer's tower. Would you like me to retrieve it?"

"Yeah," John said and watched as the boy bowed to her again before running off. Nervously, he turned to her and took her in from head to toe. Her mind had to pick that moment to wonder if perhaps she'd left a little too much cleavage that morning or if he had some other appreciation of the dress style here. It occurred to her that he didn't like the dress as well and she'd forever open her wardrobe, see it and hate this place forever more. She looked away nervously and John cleared his throat. "So," he started then paused as he spotted the boy returning with the ZPM. He handed it over, gave another clumsy bow to her and ran back to the wall.

"I guess my men are searching for Todd," she said matter of factly before actually looking up at him. He nodded and for a second she thought he was about to let her turn around and go back to the city, to leave her here.

"Elizabeth," he said, his tone making her straighten and square her shoulders. "I love you."

She hadn't expected it, hadn't considered that he'd even say it while he thought she had no memory and it made her take a step back before she realised it was something new and unexpected. She loved him too, more than she'd ever thought possible and in that split second as she took the step back towards him, she realised that their earlier joking about having a baby had actually been more serious for him than it was for her. She moved forward again, closing the distance and capturing his lips in a kiss that made him stagger backwards and step passed the city's shields. She felt it wash over her like cold relief before they jolted apart and looked around the decorated cave. His hand touched the side of her face and she turned to look at the concern on his face.

"Can we go home now?" All she could do was nod.


	6. Chapter 6

Three hours was far too long for Elizabeth to sit in the infirmary. As much as she loved the dress she was wearing, she wanted to change into something a little more suitable for the climate of Atlantis. Not to mention, people were giving her looks, not bad looks, but the staring was starting to get to her - especially the men, who had yet to learn that her face was several inches above where they were looking. She had been out the door of the infirmary before Carson had finished saying she could go and change and headed back to her room trying hard to avoid the eyes of most of the men. She especially took pride in ignoring the wolf whistle Major Lorne gave her as she passed him and Ronon. For now she wouldn't punish him for that, but she would have a little fun making him sweat over it later.

They had no idea what had happened to Todd. Once they'd found themselves back in the patterned cave, they had simply walked out the opening and back to the village. All her belongings and clothes had been kept there and several cases of supplies had been left for them, one case of which had been marked for her attention only. John had naturally assumed that appear in the cave had returned her memory to her and hadn't yet asked if she was okay, but he did know she was back to normal now. The memories of her time in charge of the city had remained with her, but those of the real priestess had vanished the second they had left the cave. It was a shame really. She had enjoyed knowing the respect people had for her on that level, but on some level it was nice to know the difference between her experiences there and someone else's. She turned the last corner to her room and found John standing, leaning against the wall next to her door. He quirked a brow at her and slowly smiled as she walked towards him.

"Hello," she said primly, stopping in front of him.

"Hi," he replied, letting his smile turn into a smirk and she watched as his eyes dropped to her cleavage. She had to resist rolling her eyes at him as she considered reaching around him for the door sensors.

"Are you going to let me into my room, or are we having these conversations where others can listen?"

"Would you judge me if I said 'where others could listen'?"

"I need to change, John."

"We can do that here too." She smacked his hand away as he reached for the laces of her dress. "If you don't tie the laces, how does that dress stay done up?" She watched the realisation of something else flicker across his face. "I think we were meant to leave the necklace?"

"It's a fake," she said nudging him to the side and opening her door. She vanished inside quickly before he could contemplate what she'd just said.

"A fake? Todd would have been pissed..." It had dawned on him at last and he quickly closed the door. "You knew it was a fake, all this time?" She paused before opening the closet. "You knew from the start that you weren't wearing the real necklace?"

"Yes."

"So, the meeting at the city gates, the meeting room. All of that was just.... What?" She didn't answer and he didn't seem to know what to say for several long minutes. "You tricked me." She turned to face him. "You lied to me."

"No, John."

"You knew all along and you still lied to me, told me you didn't remember anything."

"It was your test," she said calmly. "They needed to know you were the descendant of the ancients and that your heart was in the right place. This wasn't my choice. The explanation I got was reasonable and it was that or we just get sent back then and there."

John scrubbed a hand down his face. "You know it's really hard to be mad at you when you're wearing that." Elizabeth had to bite her lip to stop from smiling at him. "How does it stay up?"

"Magic," she said, turning back to the closet. John reached out, wrapping his arms around her waist before she could move too far.

"Don't take it off just yet." She felt him step up close and brush the hair off her neck. She tipped her head slightly in his direction, watching from the corner of her eye as he looked down her body and slipped his hands around her sides and across her stomach

"Would my king like to start discussing children?" she said softly, trying hard to make it sound just as serious as she could while keeping it light-hearted.

"I was just wondering if you'd agree to that before we started discussing marriage." Elizabeth turned so fast in his arms John had to take a step back. He was still looking calmly at her, studying her expression. After a minute he took the step forward again and carefully put his hands back on her hips. "I want both, Elizabeth. I want them with you," he said, his eyes locked with hers and his expression serious for just a moment. "And I want you in this dress as often as I can get it."

Elizabeth laughed lightly. "But if I stay in the dress, you'll never find out how it manages to stay up."

"Don't suppose I can find out what's under it either?" he asked. Elizabeth shook her head and reached up to slip the ends of the ties out from under the material. John's brow went up instantly and she smiled back at him as she started undoing the laces. John licked his lips several times before reaching up to help her and she let him take over and busied herself with his shirt, slipping her hands up his chest underneath it.

"Where will you find an engagement ring out here?" she asked, watching the concentration on his face.

"Pegasus Cartier?" John said, not loosing track of the loops he was working on. "That mean it's a yes to marrying me?"

"That depends on if you ask me properly or not," Elizabeth said slyly. She had been through so much with him in the last few years that she could have gone out to the balcony at that moment and screamed it to the world, but there was no fun in that without getting the official down on one knee question.

"Baby first, then we'll work on the wedding." he said, managing to reach the end of the ties and slip the dress off her shoulders. "Corset," he breathed, running his hands over the stiff material. He found the strings at the back of the dress and undid the tie at the top before tugging at the sides to loosen it. She expected him to remove it, but instead he stepped into her and kissed her before moving down to trace a line from her neck to the top of her breasts.

Urgency seemed to kick in and John stepped back to pull his belt open and start undoing his pants. Elizabeth, wishing it hadn't been so long since they had been together, guided him to the bed and forced him back on it just as he managed to shove his pants and boxers down. She grabbed them both, pulling them further down before gathering up her skirts. John lifted his head to watch as she removed the undergarments and she found herself wondering if he thought panties, thongs, or the pantaloons she was currently fashioning. Watching his cock twitch, she decided she didn't really care and instead stepped out of them and moved up the bed to straddle his hips. Slowing things down for a moment, she leaned over and kissed him several times before sitting back up and letting him slide easily into her body.

"The Priestesses," she breathed, unable to stop her hips from moving, "always have girls." John's hands tightened on her hips. "There has never been a male child from a Priestess," she finished, speeding up her movements at the idea of holding her newborn baby girl.

"I can live with that," John said with a groan before he pulled her forward for a kiss. She could feel his hands on the back of her corset, quickly undoing the laces, and when she couldn't stand it any more, she sat back up, yanked the garment over her head and let her release wash over her as John teased her nipples.

John's eyes squeezed shut as she rode out her orgasm, rocking hard on him and pressing her chest into his hands. She managed a breathy "John," that seemed to do the trick and he came inside her. She rocked gently on him for a few minutes before leaning forward for a short kiss and then working her way down his neck to rest on top of him.

"Will you be going to Pegasus Cartier in the morning?" she asked cheekily after their breathing settled. John smiled and turned his head so he could kiss her forehead.

"I have to look up the address," he whispered. She could only hum in response as the week's exhaustion, and her still recovering body, won the battle and she drifted off to sleep.


End file.
